Encyclopedia Dubuque
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Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
THOMPSON, Mary Virginia "Winnie"
THOMPSON, Mary Virginia "Winnie" (Youngstown, OH, May 2, 1928--Dubuque, IA, Apr. 18, 2014). Revived FARMERS' MARKET. Thompson's civic activities included helping to raise the $50,000 in private funds needed for the Main Street revitalization program. She held memberships on the central committee of the Main Street Project, board of the Dubuque Downtown Association, Dubuque Historic Preservation Commission and the attraction committee of the DUBUQUE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
Thompson's desire to preserve old buildings led in 1982 to her refurbishing an old warehouse at 169 Iowa Street into the ICE HARBOR Emporium. In 1983 she obtained sufficient signatures to create an historical preservation area around ST. RAPHAEL'S CATHEDRAL. Her hopes to create an excursion train running between Bellevue and Dubuque led to the formation of the Dubuque Trolley, Inc. when her earlier plans proved impractical. Thompson's projects also included the beautification of the downtown area. She coordinated the selection and placement of banners and led the effort to decorate the windows of vacant stores.
Thompson's childhood was divided between Ohio and Dubuque where her father was a plant manager for the GENERAL DRY BATTERIES Company. She was class president while attending ACADEMY OF THE VISITATION (THE) and graduated from CLARKE COLLEGE.
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Source:
1. Obituaries. Telegraph Herald
2. Notable Local Deaths, Chronology 2014, Telegraph Herald, January 1, 2015, p. 2